Apple Sued for Animoji Feature in iPhone X

By Techpads | Last Updated: November 19, 2017- 10:46 pm

Apple’s flagship product takes the aid of facial recognition technology, which transforms the user’s face into a customized animated emoji.

Apple’s iPhone X, to be released in November 2017, is in troubled waters. A Tokyo-based software company, Emonster, which is the owner of the “Animoji” trademark, has filed a lawsuit in the San Francisco federal court against Apple for using its texting app. The animated emoji feature in iPhone X has also been named “Animoji.” The lawsuit states that since both the app as well as the iPhone X feature comprise moving animation and are an integral part of Apple’s platform, at least one of these features should be done away with.

For its Animoji feature, Apple’s flagship product takes the aid of facial recognition technology, which transforms the user’s face into a customized animated emoji. This feature offers a “great experience,” while connecting with people, according to Phil Schiller, Chief Marketing Officer at Apple.

Trademark Imbroglio

The lawsuit states that Apple was aware that Emonster has owned Animoji, since the iOS app has been available on the Apple Store, with the trademark being granted to the Japanese company in 2015. And despite a failed attempt to buy the trademark from Emonster, Apple has been using Animoji.

“Apple decided to take the name and pretend to the world that ‘Animoji’ was original to Apple,” Emonster said, in the complaint. In fact, it was only in September 2017 that Apple filed a petition for the cancellation of the trademark. Apple’s stance is that Emonster had registered the trademark to a non-existent business due to a filing error and thus did not own Animoji. Currently, the registration of the trademark is being reviewed. The sum of money claimed by Emonster has not been disclosed. Also, the court order seeks to prevent Apple from using the emoji trademark with immediate effect.

Apple’s iOS store offers Emonster’s Animoji app for 99 cents in the US. Apple has not yet released any comments regarding the controversy.